{"id":1524,"date":"2022-03-24T16:10:31","date_gmt":"2022-03-24T17:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=1524"},"modified":"2022-03-25T21:02:33","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T21:02:33","slug":"vitamin-d-am-i-getting-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/vitamin-d-am-i-getting-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"Vitamin D, Am I Getting Enough?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Is Vitamin D<\/a> | What Effects My Absorption<\/a> | Vitamin D RDA<\/a> | Is Sun Exposure Enough<\/a> | \u00a0Food Sources Of Vitamin D<\/a> |\u00a0Popular Products<\/a> | Too Much Vitamin D<\/a> | Warnings And Side Effects<\/a> | \u00a0Disclaimer<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

During the colder winter months, it can be difficult and sometimes impossible to go outside. Besides losing quality time with nature not going outside deprives us of some essential nutrients; like vitamin D. In western society, a vitamin D deficiency is common, yet supplementation of vitamin D is slacking. So the question becomes, what is vitamin D<\/em><\/a>, and am I getting enough of it<\/em>? In this blog, we’ll answer these questions and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/a>What’s The Role?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

As we mentioned before, vitamin D is an essential nutrient, but it is present in very few foods. Vitamin D is associated with bone health due to its ability to promote calcium absorption. However, this is not all vitamin D does. It also plays a role in cell growth, immune function, and the reduction of inflammation; among other functions(1<\/a>,2<\/a>,3<\/a>). It is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it is absorbed along with fats in your diet and can be stored in the body’s fatty tissue. Because of this generally, a smaller amount is needed to maintain good health. But there are a couple of factors that can undermine how it is absorbed.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/a>What Effects My Absorption Ability?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Where You Live:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If you live closer to the equator, you likely have higher absorption of the vitamin through the sun’s UVB light. Consequently, areas further from the equator, like New York, receive less UVB light exposure. During the fall to winter months, the days become shorter and so does the emission of UVB rays. (4<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Melanin:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Melanin is the substance in your skin that makes it dark. UVB rays penetrate the skin to kick-start the body’s vitamin D production. These two substances compete, and as a result darker-skinned people generally require more UVB light to produce the same amount of vitamin D as lighter-skinned people.\u2020<\/span><\/p>\n

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Temperature:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Warm skin is a better coefficient for vitamin D production than cooler skin. So hotter days will likely produce more vitamin D than colder ones.\u2020<\/span><\/p>\n

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Age:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As you age the substance in your skin that converts UVB rays decreases. Due to this, older people may not produce vitamin D as efficiently as younger people.\u2020<\/span><\/p>\n

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Co-factors:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Making sure you have sufficient vitamin D co-factors( vitamin K2, magnesium, boron, and zinc) are essential for optimal production of the vitamin and overall health. For example, magnesium is essential in the metabolism of vitamin D. However when you take large doses of vitamin D, you can induce severe depletion of magnesium (5<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/a>How Much is Recommended?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Recommendations from the US Institute of Medicine suggest that an average daily intake of 400\u2013800 IU, or 10\u201320 micrograms,<\/strong> is adequate for 97.5% of individuals (6<\/a>,7<\/a>). However, this value may change depending on your exposure to sunlight, as well as some of the factors above. In some people levels of 1000\u20134000 IU, or 25\u2013100 micrograms,<\/strong> is considered sufficient(8<\/a>). The bottom line is that if you feel you may not be getting an adequate amount of any vitamin, you should see your doctor and request to get a blood test. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Nordic Nutrition Council base their recommendations on the following blood levels(6<\/a>,9<\/a>):<\/span><\/p>\n